Josh Smith
@jtsmith.bsky.social
Lawyer. Chess player. Hip hop fan. I try to be intellectually curious. I believe questions are the best way to both understand others beliefs and advocate for my own.
Other than liability (of course), is there any kind of consensus amongst researchers how to address this? Is it 998 warnings, or just making some subjects off limits? Is it technical, legal, policy, or all of the above?
December 28, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Other than liability (of course), is there any kind of consensus amongst researchers how to address this? Is it 998 warnings, or just making some subjects off limits? Is it technical, legal, policy, or all of the above?
Is there a limiting principle here? Are there NO arguments too heinous to make and yet still retain tenure? Can you really advocate anything so long as it is done within an academic context? If there are some limits, then Dean Edley’s take feels more about line drawing, and not principles.
December 26, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Is there a limiting principle here? Are there NO arguments too heinous to make and yet still retain tenure? Can you really advocate anything so long as it is done within an academic context? If there are some limits, then Dean Edley’s take feels more about line drawing, and not principles.
I mean, of course they do. But for any reason other than bigotry or ignorance?
December 26, 2025 at 6:56 PM
I mean, of course they do. But for any reason other than bigotry or ignorance?
It seems uncontroversial to believe that (1) some amount of “talent” is naturally occurring within people regardless of any training or circumstances and (2) this “talent” is randomly distributed across the globe. As a result, some talented people were born elsewhere. I wonder if people disagree?
December 26, 2025 at 6:54 PM
It seems uncontroversial to believe that (1) some amount of “talent” is naturally occurring within people regardless of any training or circumstances and (2) this “talent” is randomly distributed across the globe. As a result, some talented people were born elsewhere. I wonder if people disagree?
Goldfinger, or at least really shiny Brassfinger.
December 26, 2025 at 3:54 AM
Goldfinger, or at least really shiny Brassfinger.
Thank you. I was aware of both developments, but wasn’t clear on their relationship. This is incredibly helpful, as the dual record keepers have a lot of insights to building more robust and tamper proof records.
December 22, 2025 at 8:38 PM
Thank you. I was aware of both developments, but wasn’t clear on their relationship. This is incredibly helpful, as the dual record keepers have a lot of insights to building more robust and tamper proof records.
Assuming the records COULD be fully digitized and searchable, is there anything that you could imagine asking software to do for you? Not from an LLM that exists today, but something you could be imagine is helpful, even if it’s more close to science fiction?
December 22, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Assuming the records COULD be fully digitized and searchable, is there anything that you could imagine asking software to do for you? Not from an LLM that exists today, but something you could be imagine is helpful, even if it’s more close to science fiction?
I have come across this, and it has already influenced my thinking regarding designing a secondary registry. Incredibly fascinating!
I’m sorry, I know you’re not my personal Google, but one last question: is this related at all to the development of double-entry bookkeeping by Italian merchants?
I’m sorry, I know you’re not my personal Google, but one last question: is this related at all to the development of double-entry bookkeeping by Italian merchants?
December 22, 2025 at 8:31 PM
I have come across this, and it has already influenced my thinking regarding designing a secondary registry. Incredibly fascinating!
I’m sorry, I know you’re not my personal Google, but one last question: is this related at all to the development of double-entry bookkeeping by Italian merchants?
I’m sorry, I know you’re not my personal Google, but one last question: is this related at all to the development of double-entry bookkeeping by Italian merchants?
Out of curiosity, is there anything that the Venetians did particularly well (or poorly) with their records? Particularly ownership records (land, personal property)?
December 22, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Out of curiosity, is there anything that the Venetians did particularly well (or poorly) with their records? Particularly ownership records (land, personal property)?
Thank you! I’ll put it on my list. I have a project that involves designing a record keeping system, and I’m trying to take lessons from historical examples.
It’s impossible to convince people that blockchain isn’t the automatic answer, and they we can learn from 5,000+ years of record keeping.
It’s impossible to convince people that blockchain isn’t the automatic answer, and they we can learn from 5,000+ years of record keeping.
December 22, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Thank you! I’ll put it on my list. I have a project that involves designing a record keeping system, and I’m trying to take lessons from historical examples.
It’s impossible to convince people that blockchain isn’t the automatic answer, and they we can learn from 5,000+ years of record keeping.
It’s impossible to convince people that blockchain isn’t the automatic answer, and they we can learn from 5,000+ years of record keeping.
Yes, certainly. I’m just getting into the history of archives and record keeping, and it is fascinating. Here’s my current reading list. Anything else you might suggest?
December 22, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Yes, certainly. I’m just getting into the history of archives and record keeping, and it is fascinating. Here’s my current reading list. Anything else you might suggest?
But assuming the paper was digitized (massive and impossible assumption, granted), I think an LLM could assist you in grinding, and can be used to accumulate tacit knowledge.
Put another way: I do think there are some good use cases. Almost none of them are being discussed in pop culture.
Put another way: I do think there are some good use cases. Almost none of them are being discussed in pop culture.
December 22, 2025 at 5:29 PM
But assuming the paper was digitized (massive and impossible assumption, granted), I think an LLM could assist you in grinding, and can be used to accumulate tacit knowledge.
Put another way: I do think there are some good use cases. Almost none of them are being discussed in pop culture.
Put another way: I do think there are some good use cases. Almost none of them are being discussed in pop culture.
But why not ask it to help to accumulate tacit knowledge? Ask it help you learn an find new ornery sources. From my own experience, you CAN find undiscovered things, but it does take careful research planning and intentionality to ask it to help you find them.
December 22, 2025 at 5:27 PM
But why not ask it to help to accumulate tacit knowledge? Ask it help you learn an find new ornery sources. From my own experience, you CAN find undiscovered things, but it does take careful research planning and intentionality to ask it to help you find them.
But is there value in trying to use technology to uncover the those systems, even with imperfections? If current technology in practice can’t accomplish it, then that’s fine. But conceptually, it would seem to have value. Again, maybe it’s just in my own use cases that I find value.
December 22, 2025 at 5:17 PM
But is there value in trying to use technology to uncover the those systems, even with imperfections? If current technology in practice can’t accomplish it, then that’s fine. But conceptually, it would seem to have value. Again, maybe it’s just in my own use cases that I find value.
But did they intend to have a system? Did whatever they did make sense in their own head? Was the clerical error really random, or the result of some misunderstanding? My limited experience in legal research makes me instinctually feel it has value. If not, in happy to be wrong.
December 22, 2025 at 4:42 PM
But did they intend to have a system? Did whatever they did make sense in their own head? Was the clerical error really random, or the result of some misunderstanding? My limited experience in legal research makes me instinctually feel it has value. If not, in happy to be wrong.
Sorry,I think I may have gotten mixed up by this post: bsky.app/profile/appu...
I work on early modern Italy, mostly Venice. The Venetian archives are vast. The way they are organized today is the result of some decisions made by a few guys in the nineteenth century when the paper was all moved from many places to a single location. They decided what went with what.
December 22, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Sorry,I think I may have gotten mixed up by this post: bsky.app/profile/appu...
I respect and admire that position.
December 22, 2025 at 4:06 PM
I respect and admire that position.
Yes, I particularly appreciate @edzitron.com’s work on the economic house of cards that are GPU fabricators, data centers and LLM companies.
December 22, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Yes, I particularly appreciate @edzitron.com’s work on the economic house of cards that are GPU fabricators, data centers and LLM companies.
But as a result, does that mean I shouldn’t use it if I can find some small sliver of value?
If your answer is “yes”, then I understand and respect that position. I just don’t know if I can work longer and harder for the sake of not using the technology and taking a stand on principle.
If your answer is “yes”, then I understand and respect that position. I just don’t know if I can work longer and harder for the sake of not using the technology and taking a stand on principle.
December 22, 2025 at 3:56 PM
But as a result, does that mean I shouldn’t use it if I can find some small sliver of value?
If your answer is “yes”, then I understand and respect that position. I just don’t know if I can work longer and harder for the sake of not using the technology and taking a stand on principle.
If your answer is “yes”, then I understand and respect that position. I just don’t know if I can work longer and harder for the sake of not using the technology and taking a stand on principle.
Yes, but this is faster. And sometimes better. It feels like hubris to think we can out-edit the machine. For what reason? If we want to defend humanity against LLMs, that’s fine, but we shouldn’t pretend that a human can win a race against a car.
December 22, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Yes, but this is faster. And sometimes better. It feels like hubris to think we can out-edit the machine. For what reason? If we want to defend humanity against LLMs, that’s fine, but we shouldn’t pretend that a human can win a race against a car.
I guess I don’t gain anything from convincing people it has value. But for me, it does. At the very least, it’s good for proofreading, spotting double punctuation, missing commas, inconsistent defined terms, etc. I can do that, but it’s faster, and in some cases, better.
December 22, 2025 at 3:45 PM
I guess I don’t gain anything from convincing people it has value. But for me, it does. At the very least, it’s good for proofreading, spotting double punctuation, missing commas, inconsistent defined terms, etc. I can do that, but it’s faster, and in some cases, better.
Agreed. I don’t deny that there massive negative externalities, many of which may be catastrophic. But I still can’t stand the idea that there are no upsides or silver lining.
December 22, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Agreed. I don’t deny that there massive negative externalities, many of which may be catastrophic. But I still can’t stand the idea that there are no upsides or silver lining.